Cashing Out
by turbomagnus
Summary: To leave his past behind him, Urashima Keitaro became David Xanatos. Unfortunately, sometimes a person's past refuses to be left behind. Keitaro-as-Xanatos/Fox pairing.
1. I : Cashing Out

In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."

Disclaimer: I'm not Ken Akamatsu, I don't own Love Hina and the characters and locations are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes. "Gargoyles" and all associated characters and situations belong to Disney and are also used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Cashing Out"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

They had called him a thousand different insults; among them vile, dishonorable, coward, yellow... He had found that the ancient Greek for 'Yellow' was Xanthos; it was hard to say, but he liked it. It inspired him...

Looking back at Japan over the stern of the boat, the man who had until recently been Urashima Keitaro smiled as though a thousand burdens had been lifted from his shoulders, the person he was once was now no more. Whether America was 'The Land of Opportunity' or just 'The Last, Best Hope for a Quick Buck' didn't really matter. It was half a world away with millions of people for him to get lost among until the time was right for him to be known again, a time when he would be able to deal with things on his own terms - not the Urashima's, not Tokyo University's, not anyone else's but his own.

-o0o-

* * *

Years later, Fox Xanatos looked over her husband's shoulder, "Looking over your assets, David?"

Xanatos - only his wife called him 'David', to everyone else he was 'Mr. Xanatos' or simply 'Xanatos' - shook his head before turning it to look up at her, "Looking over a liability, and I think it's time to let it be someone else's liability."

"Should I ask or should I want to keep plausible deniability?" Fox teased, knowing that her husband's respect for the law only went as far as he could buy it.

"It was supposed to be the family inn, but looking back I was never really part of the family or part of the inn - Even though legally I was listed as manager and owner of the property, in reality I was just the guy who fixed things and got abused whenever anyone needed an outlet," Xanatos explained.

"So you don't plan on going back and doing this yourself?" Fox asked.

Xanatos laughed, "Why should I? That's what I have lawyers on my payroll for."

"Maybe you do, but normally you prefer to handle things personally whenever possible," Fox pointed out, "If you don't believe me, look at that battlesuit you made so you could fight Goliath face-to-face."

"For all the differences between Goliath and myself. There's always been a certain amount of respect there as well," Xanatos answered solemnly before tapping the paper on the desk in front of him, "This place, there was never any respect there."

"Then why has it taken you this long to decide to get rid of it?"

"I don't know," his wife was probably the only person in whose presence Xanatos would ever freely admit to a lack of knowledge or understanding, much less what he was about to say, "Maybe part of me thought they were right... Maybe I used to dream of going back there and taking over the way I should have from the beginning... maybe it was just a convenient reminder of my past when I needed one. All I know is that whatever it was, I don't have a use for it anymore, I don't want it anymore, so I've already found a good set of buyers for it."

The red-head raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Who?"

Xanatos grinned, "The Japanese clan needed a place to expand. All things considered, I think one hundred yen 'and other considerations' was a fair price to ask."

Fox rolled her eyes, "Does Goliath know that you're involving yourself with the other surviving Gargoyle clans?"

"Since he hasn't broken down the door to confront me," Xanatos answered easily, "I'd have to say 'no'."

Shaking her head, Fox replied, "What am I going to do with you, David?"


	2. II : Collecting

In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."

Disclaimer: I'm not Ken Akamatsu, I don't own Love Hina and the characters and locations are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes. "Gargoyles" and all associated characters and situations belong to Disney and are also used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Cashing Out II"  
'Collecting'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0o-

* * *

"I'm here to tell you that at times like this, a mercenary needs to review his two priorities. Priority number one; get paid. Priority number two; live long enough to spend your money." - Captain Kaff Tagon of 'Tagon's Toughs', "Schlock Mercenary".

* * *

-o0O0o-

When the door to his office burst open, David Xanatos, born Urashima Keitaro, looked up from the papers he was reviewing.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Goliath?" He laid the papers down on his desk.

The leader of the Manhattan Clan snarled in response, "What's your game, Xanatos?"

"Chess," Xanatos answered casually, "Care to set the board?"

"Answer me!" Goliath roared.

Xanatos shook his head, "If you wake up my son, I'm not going to save you from his mother's wrath, you know."

The large Gargoyle put his hands on Xanatos' desk and dug his claws into the wood, causing Xanatos to wince slightly at the waste of good cherry, "Why are you involving yourself with the other Clans, Xanatos?"

Xanatos looked across his desk at Goliath, "Because they made an offer for the property I'm selling, Goliath, nothing more. It may surprise you, but for once my actions aren't part of a convoluted gambit, simply the result of deciding I have no intention of returning to Japan and so no reason to keep the property. If you're..."

At that moment, a bespectacled blonde man in a blue business suit walked through the door that Goliath had broken open until he reached Xanatos' desk, giving Goliath only a cursory sideways glance before addressing the other human, "My apologies if I've come at an inopportune time, sir."

Xanatos shot Goliath a quick look before addressing his assistant, "What is it, Owen?"

"There is a situation with the Sunflower House property in Japan, Mister Xanatos," Owen Burnett informed his employer, adjusting his glasses.

"Did it finally collapse from one too many people knocked through a wall?"

"No, sir," Owen answered, "Apparently the tenants have counter-sued against your eviction notices claiming that, by not being physically present for an extended period of time, you've abandoned the property and ownership should therefore revert to themselves."

"Do they even have a leg to stand on for that?"

"No, sir," Owen shook his head, "Their continued payment of rent and the fact that taxes have been paid in full each year leaves their argument with no legal basis."

Xanatos scoffed, "Contact Mister Yung's office, Owen. Let the lawyers handle it, that's what I pay them for, after all."

"Very good, Mister Xanatos," Owen nodded and gave his customary half bow before turning to exit the room.

"Where was I?" Xanatos turned his attention back to Goliath, "Right... If you're really that concerned about the situation, maybe you should try speaking to your fellow Gargoyles. Have you considered that?"

Goliath narrowed his eyes at Xanatos and growled before releasing his grip on the man's desk, turning and marching angrily out of the office. Xanatos, for his part, looked down at his now-badly damaged piece of furniture and shook his head.

"I liked this desk," Xanatos complained, sticking a finger in one of the claw-holes in annoyance.


	3. III : Double Or Nothing

In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."

Disclaimer: I'm not Ken Akamatsu, I don't own Love Hina and the characters and locations are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes. "Gargoyles" and all associated characters and situations belong to Disney and are also used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Cashing Out III"  
'Double or Nothing'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

David Xanatos descended the steps of his private jet with an expression of distaste on his face.

"I never wanted to come back here... Owen, remind me to tell Mister Yung and his associates that they're fired. I want to do it personally."

At the bottom of the steps, Owen Burnett nodded and adjusted his glasses, "Of course, Mister Xanatos. Your car is waiting to take you to Hinata Springs."

"And the special cargo?" Xanatos asked.

"The special cargo has already been unloaded, sir, it's in the car," Owen informed him.

"Good," Xanatos remarked as he reached the ground, "And my... other suit?"

"Also in the car, Mister Xanatos."

Fox Xanatos shook her head, standing at the top of the steps with their young son in her arms, "David, why did you bring that anyway?"

Xanatos shrugged and answered his wife, "Equaliser; some of the people we're here to deal with never had any problems abusing someone weaker than them... we'll see how they like the shoe being on the other foot if they try anything now."

"The shoe... Or the battlesuit, as the case may be?" Fox asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I like that battlesuit," Xanatos answered blaisely, "Fits better than anything except perhaps a suit from Brooks Brothers."

"Sometimes I think you like that battlesuit more than you like me," Fox retorted as she - with Alexander - descended the stairs to join her husband and Owen on the ground.

"Well," Xanatos replied as he put his hands on his wife's shoulders, "I don't do _this _with the battlesuit."

Then he leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips.

"You can't distract me that easy, David," Fox smirked when he pulled away.

"Really?" Xanatos sighed, "One of the people we have to deal with builds attack robots just to pass the time - or at least they did, before - the battlesuit's here just in case I have to fight fire... with firepower."

"In other words," Fox corrected, "You're just an overgrown boy with your favorite toy..."


	4. IV : Call

In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."

Disclaimer: I'm not Ken Akamatsu, I don't own Love Hina and the characters and locations are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes. "Gargoyles" and all associated characters and situations belong to Disney and are also used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Cashing Out IV"  
'Call'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

David Xanatos sat at a desk in his room at one of the smaller inns in Hinata Springs, fingers steepled as he looked at the laptop in front of him which he was using for a video conference with Yung Yukio, his attorney in Japan.

"Mister Yung, did I or did I not instruct you to ensure the sell of the property here in Hinata Springs?"

"You did, Mister Xanatos, but -"

"No excuses, Mister Yung," Xanatos shook his head, "I gave specific instructions for your office to deal with the situation regarding the Hinatasou and instead of that I find myself having to come here to resolve the matter personally. I take this as a grevious insult, Mister Yung."

"Mister Xanatos," the half-Japanese, half-Chinese attorney bowed his head, "You have my word no insult was meant by myself or my office. The Aoyama and Urashima are respected here and their word carries much weight in the courts, as does the political pressure which Molmol has as a supplier of advanced technology to those nations around it, including Japan. My words are but a raindrop in an ocean compared to that."

"Yes, I'm well aware of how some people are given un-earned respect and privilege solely because of whom their ancestors are," Xanatos nodded, "Still... I do not like failure, Mister Yung. It leaves me considering whether my interests in Japan remain served by keeping your offices on retainer. Especially when it forces me to do something I would have preferred not to and that is to travel here."

"I understand, Mister Xanatos," Yung answered, "I tried my best to convince them otherwise, but the judge insisted that 'Urashima Keitaro' appear before the court or he would summarily rule in favor of the plantiffs."

"If they insist, then they shall recieve," Xanatos commented, his eye narrowing, "But I doubt they will like what they get..."


	5. V : Queen of Hearts

In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."

Disclaimer: I'm not Ken Akamatsu, I don't own Love Hina and the characters and locations are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes. "Gargoyles" and all associated characters and situations belong to Disney and are also used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Cashing Out"  
'Queen of Hearts'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

Anyone who saw them walking down the sidewalk would, without knowing further about who they were, believe they were the perfect family. The truth of that would depend on how one choses to define 'perfect family' and whether or not a family consisting of a self-made billionaire with a secret past, a former mercenary and their son with his grandmother's fey-magic filled that definition.

Fox Xanatos shifted their son in her arms as she looked around, "Somehow, I expected some place more... interesting."

"Wait until the robot turtles start flying through the sky," David Xanatos answered in a droll tone, "Besides, I actually grew up in Kyoto. Between the ages of five and twenty, I don't even think I ever visited Hinata Springs."

"If this 'Hinata House' was in your family for hundreds of years," Fox frowned in thought, "How did your parents end up in Kyoto?"

"You know," Xanatos stopped walking and looked at his wife, "I don't think I've ever really thought about it. There's a lot about those days that doesn't make sense now that I've had time to seperate myself from them and look at them without the personal involvement I once had."

Fox's eyebrow arched, "Such as?"

"If the Shinmeiryuu Dojo and the Urashima Bakery were both supposed to be famous in Kyoto, then why did I never hear of the Shinmeiryuu until I came here and Aoyama and her sister know nothing about the bakery?" Xanatos posed, "Or why did no one ever investigate all the strange occurances from robot attack turtles to people flying through the air? Even if I never said anything to the authorities, I'd expect at least one bystander who watched me land to have told someone. One of the tenants was supposed to be a reporter, but I never saw her write or file a story, she spent most of her time losing money on sake and horse races... I know she stole my money at times - so where did she get the money to pay her rent?"

"Shouldn't you know if you were the manager?"

Xanatos snorted gently, "Yet another suspicious factor; maintenance and rent were two entirely seperate accounts at the bank and despite being manager and the property being in my name, I never had access to the 'rent' account - the account was in Urashima Hina's name and I was never made a signatory."

Fox shook her head in disbelief, "And I thought Mother had secrets."


	6. VI : Queen of Diamonds

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental _multi-fandom_ project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. For more details, see the relevent section in my profile. This is The 365 Project, 8 December.

In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."

Disclaimer: I'm not Ken Akamatsu, I don't own Love Hina and the characters and locations are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes. "Gargoyles" and all associated characters and situations belong to Disney and are also used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Cashing Out"  
'Queen of Diamonds'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

Konno Mitsune stood on the sidewalk with her mouth open in shock. She didn't know what was going on, but she planned on finding out about it. Rich men - filthy rich, never have to ask what it costs rich, buy entire castles and move them across oceans on a whim rich men - didn't just up and bring their entire family to a different country just to visit a place like Hinata Springs, not even on vacation. They were supposed to go to the French Rivera or the Swiss Alps, Carnival in Rio or private islands and places like that for vacation; New York's Wall Street or the Stock Exchange in London, Hong Kong for meetings or Italy... even in Japan, someone like that should have been in Tokyo or Kyoto, not in Hinata Springs, it was just unbelievable.

Neurons started firing, connections started being made, a random bypasser actually reached out and closed her mouth as they walked by and all the while the 'Kitsune' of the Hinatasou's mind was a blur. Slowly, she began to put facts together; Keitaro had disappeared some years back, but recently she and the other girls had learned that he still claimed that he owned the Hinatasou and he was trying to sell it; David Xanatos, one of the richest men in the world, was in Hinata Springs and he'd brought his family with him; rich men owned things like hotels and resorts. With the facts at hand, Kitsune reached the only logical conclusion she could find.

"Keitaro's selling the Hinatasou to David Xanatos?" she muttered in shock, her jaw dropping back open in disbelief.


End file.
